Eye protection means and method of making the same



Aug. 27,1946. w. J.IJ OYCE' j 0 ,608

I EYE PROTECTION MEANS AND HETHOD 0F IAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 6, 1943INVENTOR- WILLIAM J. JOYCE Patented Ange-:27, 194 1 Q EYEPROTECTIONMEANS AND METHQD I MAKING THE SAME I 5 William J.- .Ioyee, Southbridge,Mass, assignor to AmericanOptlcal Company, Southbridge, Mates. avoluntary association of Massachuset 5 Application August 6, 1943,Serial No. 497,566

5 Claims. v (Cl. 2-44) This invention relates to eye protection devices7 and has particular reference tonovel means and method of forming theface engaging portion of such devices.

Oneof the principal objects of the inventionis to provide a faceengaging portion formed of fabric simulating carpet material having aii,- brous portion which will conform to the variations in'the facialcontours of the different individuals with a comfortable fit incombination with means for retaining said face engaging por tion to agiven desired shape and method of making the same.

Another object is to provide face engaging portions of the abovecharacter which may befquickly and easily interchanged.

Another object is to provide face engaging portions of the abovecharacter with a backing surface coated with a material for renderingsaid surface relatively rigid and shape retaining.

- Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and

' it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the details ofconstruction, arrangement of parts and methods shown and describedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the."accompanying claims. I, therefore, do not wishvto be limited to theexact details, arrangements and methods shown and described as thepreferred forms only have been given by way of illustration.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspectiveeview of the bodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view as taken on line 2-4 of Fig. 1 and looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows;

device emtaining the face contacting area in desired relation with theface. The present invention is directed particularly to providing a facecontacting .portion of fibrous fabric material simuia'tingcarpetmaterial which is initially shaped to the desired contour shape of thegoggle eye cup and which will be substantially self retaining to'saidshape with the retaining means simultaneously functioning as a backingsupport for the fibrous material throughout its width. The backingsupport is formed integral with the face contacting portion and permitssaid face contacting portions to be formed-as interchangeable units. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like characters ofreference designate like parts throughout the several views, the deviceembodying the invention comprises a pair of eye cups 5 having dividedmeeting end portions 5. Each of the end portions 6 are provided withlugs I having aligned perforations 8 therein. The lugs l are adapted toreceive a tubular connection member 9 having a bendable tongue 10 whichwhen the tubular member is in posivtion on the lugs l for retaining saidlugs in adjacent relation with each other may be bent inwardllfl, asillustrated at II, to retain said tubular-member in place. The tubularmember 9 is further retained in place by means of a head-v band eyeletH. having a hook-like prong 42 adapted to be extended through thealigned openingsl'for' securing the headband l3 to the lugs.

Each of the eye cups 5 is provided, as shown in Fig. 2, with a forwardlychannelled portion H for receiving the contour edge of the lens IS. Theopposed inner edge of the eye cup 5 is provided with an outwardly flaredportion IS. The

' eye cups 5 are preferably formed of metal but Fig. 3 isa viewgenerally similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the means for permitting the lenses tobe interchanged and for permitting removal and'replacement of the faceen a ing means. w 1

The use of fibrous fabric for producing face may be formed of any otherdesirable material which will permit separation of the divided ends 5for theinsertion or removal of the lens 15.

Internally-of the eye-cups, there is pr vided a ring ll of relativelythin material shaped to conform to the inner shape of the eye cup 5 andcontact means for eye protection devices is not new in the art. In'mostinstances in the past it has been the usual practice toform such faceengaging portionsof strips of material secured to the face contactingedge of the eye cup .and

I retaining to the shape desired by the eye cup.

In most known instances in the past such fibrous or fabric type facecontacting means were formed of relatively limp material and requiredthe use, of a separate backing support for re- 'to the shape of theoutwardly flared edge portion I5. This is best shown in Fig. 2. The ringH, has an outwardly flared portion l8 simulating the outwardly flaredportion l6 to which the face contacting means I9 is secured as bystitchings or the like 20, best shown in Fig. 4. The The outwardlyflared portion 18 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 2!through which the stitchings 20 may be extended.

The face contacting means I! simulates a carpet material in that it hasa plurality of long 2 l9 to a detachable ring n,

strand fibers 22 held in bundled relation with each other by a backingbinding 23 and having their free ends in substantially flush relationand adapted to engage the face.

The backing binding 23-is provided with a coating 24 of celluloseacetate, artificial resinous or other known quick drying and stiffeningcoating material which will impregnate the backing binding 23 and rendersaid binding relatively rigid and shape retaining. It is particularlypointed out that the backing binding 23 is of a width considerablygreater than the width of the outwardly flared portion l8 of theremovable ring I1 and when coated with the coating material 24, the saidbacking binding will function as a relatively rigid backing support forthe long fibrous portions 22 and will tend to prevent the facecontacting portion in general losing its shape during use.

It is particularly pointed out that the face contacting means 19 isformed to the shape of a continuou uninterrupted ring-like member shapedto conform to the contour shape of the eye cup and to retain said shapethrough the provision of the coating 24. This is accomplished by placinga coating 24 of required thickness on the backing binding 23 and byshaping said backing bind-' ing and the face contacting portion ingeneral to the shape desired prior to the hardening and setting of thecoating material 24. It is to be understood that the face contactingmeans l9 may be held to the shape required by means of a suitablefixture and that the coating 24 may then be applied to the backingbinding 23 and allowed to set and harden to said shape. This coating 24therefore does not only provide a wide area backin support for thefibers 22 but also holds the face contacting means IE to the shaperequired.

Instead of securing the face contacting means the outwardly flaredportion I6 of the eye cup 5, as shown in Fig. 3, may be provided with aplurality of spaced openings 25 through which suitable stitchings' 26may be extended for securing the face contacting means l9 directly tothe flanged edge portion 16 of the eye cup 5. In this instance, ofcourse, the face contacting portion is not as readily removable andchangeable as in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. Y

Although applicant has shown and described the use of fibrouscarpet-like material for forming the face contacting means, it is to beunderstood that any other desirable material may be used with saidmaterial being provided with a backing-coatin 24 for retaining the facecontacting means to the shape required and for providing a relativelyrigid backing support for said face contacting means.

When it is desired to remove the ring l1 and the face contacting meansl9 secured thereto from the eye on, the hook-like prong I2 is removedfrom the aligned openings 8, the tongue In is bent outwardly in adirection away from the lens and the sleeve 9 is removed from the lugsI. This permits the divided ends of the eye cups to be moved in adirection away from each other-sc that the ring I! may be removed fromthe eye cup. This also permits interchanging or replacement of lenses.

Each of the eye cups is provided with suitable ventilating means 21 ofany desirable known type, and are hingedly connected with each other bymeans of inter-fitting bridge lugs 28 connected with the side walls ofthe eye cups as by soldering or the like and having a pivotal connection29 with each other to permit the eye cups to be moved or folded relativeto each other. The pivotal connection 29 may be in the form of a pin orscrew extending through aligned openings in the bridge lugs 28.

The backing coating 24:has been specified as being formed byimpregnating the backing binding 23 with a cellulose acetate solution orthe like. It is to be understood that any known quickly drying paint orsolution of the type which will be relatively hard and rigid whenallowed to dry and set may be used. The backing coating 24'has beenspecified as being formed by impregnating the backing binding, withsolutions of resins, methacrylate, cellulose nitrate, lacquers, glyptolcontaining lacquers, etc. For ease ofdescription such coating materialswill be referred to herein as non-metallic coating material.

In forming the face engaging portion IS the said portion is preferablyblanked out to cause a continuous angular member having the contourshape of the eye cup. This is accomplished by blanking the said facecontacting members l9 out of sheet like material with suitable cuttingdies. The stiffening coating may be placed on the backing binding eitherbefore or after the blanking and is preferably placed on the backingbinding after the said face contacting portions l9 have been blanked todesired shape with the said face contacting member being retained to theshapeof the eye cup while the stiffening coating is applied and allowedto dry and set to said shape.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple, eflicientand economical means have been provided for accomplishing all of theobjects and advantages of the invention.

Having described'my invention, I claim:

1. An interchangeable face engaging member for the eye cups ofgoggles,said face engaging member being of annular shape and comprising aplurality of thread-like fibrous portions arranged in side to siderelation and joined with each other adjacent one end thereof by a binderlying substantially in a single plane and a layer ofnon-metallicstiffening material overlying and in binding relation with said binderto form a rigid backing member for supporting the opposed ends of thefibrous portions in substantially a single plane.

2. An interchangeable face engaging member for goggle eye cups, saidface engaging member being of a continuous annular shape having its faceengaging portion formed of a plurality of thread-like fibrous members incontiguous side to side relation with each other, a backing bindingsecuring one end of said fibrous members together for retaining them insaid contiguous relation and a coating of relatively rigid paint-likematerial on said backing binding for increasing the rigidity of saidbinding and for retaining said binding in substantially a single plane.

3. An interchangeable face engaging member for goggle eye cups, saidface engaging member being of a continuous annular shape having its faceengaging portion formed of a plurality of fibrous members in contiguousside to side relation with each other, a backing binding securing oneend of said fibrous members together for retaining them in saidcontiguous relation, a coating of relatively rigid paint-like materialon said backing binding for retaining said binding ,in substantially asingle plane and an auxiliary support secured to said backing bindingfor detachably connecting said face engaging member with the eye cups.

a single plane.

4. A face engaging member tiguous side to side relation with each otherand abacking support of relatively rigid paint-like material adhesivelysecured to saidjoined ends for aiding in retaining said ends insubstantially 5. A device of the character described comprising, a pairof eye cups having divided end having a flared edge portion, anauxiliary ring member shaped to fit internally of the eye cup and a faceengaging member secured to said auxiliary ring member, said faceengaging'memr her comprising a plurality of fibrous portions joined witheach othervadjacent one end thereof by a backing member of substantiallythe same contour shapeas the eye cups andadapted to portions,'means forsecuring said divided end portions together, said'eye cups being joinedwith each other by a bridge member and each retain said portions in asingle cross sectional plane, said backing member having a coating ofrelatively stiff material adhesively secured thereto-for retaining saidbacking member in said plane;

wmumvr J. JOYCE.

